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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25877803">Youth in Your Eyes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/King_Queen_and_Ace/pseuds/King_Queen_and_Ace'>King_Queen_and_Ace</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Asexual Ben Hargreeves, Fluff, Gen, I just headcanon it really hard yknow, Light Angst, i guess??</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:26:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,325</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25877803</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/King_Queen_and_Ace/pseuds/King_Queen_and_Ace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben is still 16, no matter what happens. The Hargreeves don't quite know how to approach that.</p><p>*</p><p>A series of maybe connected one shots about Ben's ghost looking like his 16 year old self because I can't get that out of my head.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Hargreeves &amp; Diego Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves &amp; Everyone, Ben Hargreeves &amp; Klaus Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>97</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Youth in Your Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The thing is, Ben is still sixteen, and it makes Klaus feel horribly guilty that he forces Ben to watch him spend his life caught in a cycle of sex, drugs and bad decisions. </p><p>But then somewhere along the line he got used to it, and that's just the way it was, a sixteen year old ghost following around a thirty year old man and trying to persuade him out of his bad choices. But like, whatever right? Ben was only sixteen, he hadn't lived the world like Klaus had, he didn't understand how sometimes that was all one could do as they tried not to fall apart.</p><p>Except he kinda did, through Klaus, and okay that makes Klaus feel kinda bad again, so he tries not to think about it.</p><p>Like right now, as Ben watches his siblings in Elliot's place, perching up on a table, looking ever so young compared to the rest of them. They were all nearly twice Ben's age now Klaus noted.</p><p>The man idly wondered if being a ghost impacted like, brain development, because yeah, Ben didn't have a brain, but he seemed more like a mature mid-twenties person who had their shit together because their brains were finally developed. Klaus sometimes felt like his brain was underdeveloped in comparison. Which, honestly might be true, drugs were meant to impact that kinda shit right?</p><p>But back to the topic at hand.</p><p>"Hey Klaus, did Ben make it?"</p><p>Ben sits up a little straighter. Klaus glances at him out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>He heaves a dramatic sigh, "Unfortunately not, ghosts can't time travel."</p><p>"I'm right here asshole." Ben scowls at Klaus and wow easy on the teenage angst. If Ben wanted to be an asshole that would let Klaus get beat up, then he'd be an asshole right back. Eye for an eye and all that.</p><p>"Klaus!"</p><p>Ben waves his arms in disbelief when the brunette ignored him. Klaus feels a slight pang of guilt when he catches sight of the expression on his brother's face. Distress always made his younger brother look so much younger and more fragile. None of the siblings could ever bear it when they were kids. Always so protective of little Number Six, their little monster, their kind baby brother who somehow retained his humanity in the face of abject death and destruction. It really was no wonder that the academy fell apart with his death.</p><hr/><p>Ben was in love.</p><p>Okay, maybe more like in crush, but the fact was, he liked this girl. Jill...</p><p>She was so pretty and smart and kind and god he wished he was alive just to maybe hold her hand, or maybe like smell her. He had always been obsessed with Allison and Grace's perfumes as a kid.</p><p>And see, Ben had never really had a crush before, always too apathetic when alive, or too focused on taking care of Klaus as a ghost.</p><p>So having a crush on someone for the first time it was. Special. It was amazing! It was something that had happened to <em>him</em> for the first time in ages and not Klaus. And maybe that's why he didn't want to tell Klaus. After nearly 17 years of sharing everything it just felt nice to keep something to himself.</p><p>Not to say that Klaus knew all of his secrets. Ben might have a been kind child when he was alive, but he was also a horribly secretive one.</p><p>Maybe if he had told Klaus why he wanted to possess him, Klaus would have been more receptive but it just... felt weird to tell him about something like this; he wouldn't have said it when he was alive, so why say it in death?</p><p>Ben shook himself out of his thoughts as Klaus stared expectantly at him. Ben rolled his shoulders backed, springing to the balls of his feet.</p><p>"You ready?"</p><p>Klaus snorted, "As much as I'll ever be to have my ghost brother wearing my flesh like a meat puppet."</p><p>Ben wrinkled his nose and Klaus softened slightly. The guilt of not telling his siblings that Ben was with them kept following him everywhere. Ben just had this kicked puppy look every time they were all together and it was maybe kind of killing Klaus. So maybe, this was his way to make up for it. Not the healthiest way albeit, but it was a way.</p><p>Ben breathed in at the other man's nod, and then stepped into Klaus' body.</p><p>It was... odd. Interesting. Refreshing.</p><p>Ben could smell and feel again (though not as strongly as when he was alive, something in the back of his mind told him, which was probably for the best all things considered - he might have passed out if he could feel the full strength of the human sensory organs).</p><p>God, it was so nice just to feel something again. The sun on his skin, so warm, compared to the icy dullness he was accustomed to. The smell of the flowers, and the upturned earth being gardened. The sensation of clothes on his skin even, almost itchy and constricting, but serving as a reminder that he was briefly alive once more.</p><p>He could also feel Klaus somehow, his soul(?) floating around in the body with him. He seemed to be gently amused by Ben's reactions.</p><p>And then Ben caught sight of Jill, oh god, Jill, so perfect in every way.</p><p>And as they lay in the dirt together, making dirt angels like the snow angels he'd make as a child when Reginald was away, Ben felt the happiest he'd ever been in a long time.</p><p>But Ben deflated slightly, feeling a pang in his chest (Klaus' chest?) when he remembered that she loved (liked? lusted??) Klaus. If Ben were alive she would never go for someone like him, he could just tell. Dorkier didn't seem to be a good thing.</p><p>And then she asked him to have sex.</p><p>And Ben was immediately alarmed because yeah, maybe age wise he was 33 but like, he had a body of a 16 year old! And not just that, this was Klaus' body, he couldn't do that to Klaus!!</p><p>"Ah I'm so sorry I just don't-"</p><p>"Aw come on-" </p><p>She pouted and Ben panicked, never having been in this type of situation before; having interacted only with Klaus for 17 years was unsure of how to talk to others in times of stress. </p><p>Ben half prayed Klaus would take over the reigns and half prayed he didn't so that the other man wouldn't laugh at his sexual inability. Ben could feel Klaus getting agitated and desperately sought a way out of the situation that didn't involve punching the one person he'd ever had a crush on.</p><p>And then-</p><p>"Klaus!"</p><p>Ben heaved out a sigh of relief, thanking God for Diego as he scrambled out from under Jill.</p><hr/><p>Ben couldn't remember the last time he was this desperate. (Okay maybe like an hour ago, when he was trying to possess Klaus, buy that was different.) He needed Diego to believe him, needed it so much that he he could feel Klaus' eyes tearing up in response to the despair he felt.</p><p>And when Diego believed him, oh god. Ben didn't think he'd felt relief like that in a long time. He stared at Diego, almost uncomprehending that Diego believed him.</p><p>Diego launched himself at Ben, and Ben started silently crying, gripping tightly onto the first sibling (barring Klaus) that he had been able to talk to in nearly two decades. </p><p>And if Diego noticed Ben's tears soaking his shoulder he didn't mention anything. Ben suspected the other man was tearing up as well. He could also feel Klaus slightly cooing at the scene, with something akin to relief in his soul. Ben just clutched onto Diego tighter, as the man slowly rocked them like he used to when they were kids.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So like theoretically, Ben should look like 16 since he died around then right? Well, I just couldn't get the thought of how that might change his interactions if he looked that way and well this was born.</p><p>This fic is all thanks to Nin who urged me to write it so thanks babe ily.</p><p>The next chapter probably won't be connected to this one but idk we'll see.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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